[LISTSERV - the mailing list management classic]

LISTSERV Top 20 statistics – June 2001


There are many possible ways to measure the relative "importance" or "size" of LISTSERV sites: number of lists, number of subscribers, number of messages delivered, etc. In most cases, the number of messages delivered is used to rank mailing list managers, because it is the most accurate measurement of the amount of activity on the server. But, depending on what you are looking for, other variables may be more appropriate. There are currently three LISTSERV "Top 20" lists, ranking the various servers according to:

In addition, you can view a list of the Top 20 lists in the network (by number of subscribers).

What do these numbers mean exactly?

The statistics are gathered daily by a monitor at L-Soft which polls all the LISTSERV sites that participate in the "open" LISTSERV network over the worldwide Internet. Corporate servers operating in a "closed" environment are not included.

The statistics are organized in monthly reports. The message volume figures are a flat average of the accumulated traffic for the entire month. Thus, a server that delivers 300,000 messages per month will show a daily average of 10,000 messages. In practice, there is a lot less traffic during the weekend, and even during business days there can be significant fluctuations (~30%). The list statistics (number of lists, number of subscribers, largest lists in the network) are measured as of the last day in the month.

For the current month, the message volume figures are averaged based on the number of days that have elapsed. In practice, the figures are not very meaningful in the first few days, especially if the month starts on a weekend. In that case it is best to refer to the previous month for more accurate figures.

A fourth "Top 20" list is available for the more technically oriented: Number of messages generated by the server. This corresponds to the number of mail messages created by the server while processing postings to its mailing lists. LISTSERV delivers its mail using an intelligent mail delivery function called DISTRIBUTE, which improves mail delivery times and reduces bandwidth usage by spreading the delivery chore over scores of participating servers. Each of these servers processes the recipients for its service area (typically its organization or campus). In most cases, DISTRIBUTE simply alters the manner in which the mail is delivered, and the number of messages forwarded to other sites for optimized delivery is roughly equal to the number of messages received by other sites for the same purpose. In some cases, however, this is not the case, either because the server elected to serve a much wider service area than its own organization, or because it is explicitly forwarding all its deliveries to another machine (for instance, many mainframe-based servers forward their mail to a workstation or PC for delivery).


Top 20 sites by volume delivered daily (JUN01, 1-30)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1    4865539  CHEWBACCA5.YESMAIL.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2    3631054  LISTSERV.EDIETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3    2552683  PLUM.EASE.LSOFT.COM (OpenVMS V7.1-1H1 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4    1613239  LISTSERV.ELOTTONET.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5    1407456  LISTSERV.BELIEFNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     874307  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     733744  MAIL1.YOUWINMAIL.COM (Windows NT 5.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8     702768  SILVER.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9     621763  EWAOL2.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10     620417  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 11     614092  EWMAIL2.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12     580840  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
 13     448913  NEWS.DIETSMART.COM (Windows 2000 Professional + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14     447779  MAILSVRSQL.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15     406549  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16     380549  JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.6)
 17     357406  LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7)
 18     320976  EWMAIL.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19     289963  EWAOL.EASYWINNING.COM (Windows 2000 Advanced Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20     281810  LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 sites by number of subscribers (30 Jun 2001)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1     5900448  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2     5423909  GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3     4860526  LISTSERV.WOMEN.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4     3067161  EMAIL.ZDLISTS.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5     2133957  LISTAS.STARMEDIA.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     2089713  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     2020824  DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8     1532482  LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6)
  9     1217230  ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10      734668  LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6)
 11      649648  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
 12      593037  LEGALMINDS.ORG (Linux 2.2.12-0.1)
 13      562209  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 14      487296  ACM.ORG (AIX 4.3)
 15      476317  LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16      443260  ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17      372156  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 18      322205  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
 19      313381  DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT Workstation 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20      297262  SMULTRON.EASE.ALGONET.SE (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 sites by number of lists (30 Jun 2001)

Pos Lists  Site
--- -----  ----
  1 11885  CLEMSON.EDU (Solaris 2.8)
  2  4167  TECHUNIX.TECHNION.AC.IL (Solaris 2.6)
  3  3547  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
  4  3193  LISTSERV.ND.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
  5  3134  LISTSERV.VT.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  6  3058  LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU (AIX 4.3)
  7  2940  LSV.UKY.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8  2768  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2)
  9  2676  LISTSERV.SYR.EDU (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10  2009  LISTSERV.CC.KULEUVEN.AC.BE (Linux 2.0.34)
 11  2008  LISTS.UFL.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 12  1973  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (AIX 4.3.2.01 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 13  1953  LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
 14  1887  CRCVMS.UNL.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2)
 15  1822  LISTS.AIESEC.ORG (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16  1820  LIST.NIH.GOV (Solaris 2.6)
 17  1748  LISTSERV.UIC.EDU (AIX 4.3)
 18  1735  LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19  1696  HERMES.GWU.EDU (Solaris 2.7)
 20  1633  LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 sites by volume generated daily (JUN01, 1-30)

Pos Recipients  Site
--- ----------  ----
  1    3631056  LISTSERV.EDIETS.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2     952456  PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3     870345  LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4     719573  MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU (OpenVMS V6.2-1H3 + LSMTP V1.1a)
  5     584866  APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6     545297  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7     448913  NEWS.DIETSMART.COM (Windows 2000 Professional + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8     375580  JAVA.SUN.COM (SunOS 5.6)
  9     362556  LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6)
 10     357413  LISTSERV.ICTNET.ES (SunOS 5.7)
 11     301135  LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (Solaris 2.6)
 12     295405  LISTS.PSU.EDU (AIX 4.2)
 13     283700  ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14     281810  LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15     281501  MITVMA.MIT.EDU (VM/ESA 2.4.0)
 16     276224  LIST.PROMOTIONSERVER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17     272972  H-NET.MSU.EDU (Linux 2.2.16)
 18     257034  LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG (Linux 2.2.16)
 19     227093  GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20     220459  LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (AIX 4.3.2.01 + LSMTP V1.1b)

Top 20 lists by number of subscribers (30 Jun 2001)

Pos Subscribers  Site
--- -----------  ----
  1      425842  HPJ2@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  2      329675  FOODTV@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  3      282365  GARTNER_INSIGHT@LISTSERV.GARTNER.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  4      271000  MW-WOD@LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  5      258250  REGARDS@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  6      256034  SKIMAPS@GUAVA.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
  7      222483  EOL-INBOX@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  8      212241  HPJ@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
  9      178297  EOL-DISPATCH@DISPATCH.CNET.COM (Windows NT 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 10      170486  SSA_ENEWS@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV (Solaris 2.7)
 11      163635  MICROSOFT_SECURITY@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 12      161712  CLICK-IT@PEGASUS.THISCO.COM (Solaris 2.6)
 13      156316  THE-SCIENTIST-L@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 14      127177  VULNTRAQ@LISTSERV.NTSECURITY.NET (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 15      124817  MSN-UK-NEWS@ANNOUNCE.MICROSOFT.COM (Windows 2000 Server + LSMTP V1.1b)
 16      124226  OLISPLITALERTS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM (HP-UX B.10.20 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 17      121939  CTWFAMILYNEWSLETTER-L@GROVER.CTWONLINE.COM (Solaris 2.6 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 18      116874  WINCDR@LISTSERV.ADAPTEC.COM (Windows NT Server 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 19      111227  BURPEENEWS@DISPATCH.GARDEN.ORG (Windows NT Workstation 4.0 + LSMTP V1.1b)
 20      104040  MONEYDAILY@LISTSERV.PATHFINDER.COM (Solaris 2.6)